Delta Dental of California Senior Oral Health Priority
Why focus on senior oral health?
1 out of 5
Americans will be over the age of 65 by 2040¹
1 in 6
adults over 65 have untreated cavities²
2-3 times
higher rates of untreated tooth decay among Black or Mexican American seniors compared to the general population³
50%
of the Medicare population has no dental benefit coverage⁴
The dire state of oral health for our nation’s older population was declared a public health crisis by the National Institutes of Health in the December 2021 report, Oral Health in America. The report found that adults aged 65 years and older are the most critically underserved and vulnerable population for oral health care in the United States. Currently, Medicare offers limited dental benefit coverage.
In recognizing this public health crisis, Delta Dental is committed to improving the lives and well-being of older adults, especially those living in poverty, people of color and those whose mobility issues keep them from receiving oral health care.
What is the Senior Oral Health Program?
This program addresses the senior oral health care crisis through partnerships with community-based coalitions focused on improving access to care. Its multifaceted approach aspires to improve the health of our aging adults, particularly those in marginalized communities.
Our coalition program partners
In collaboration with our first two coalition partners, Howard University College of Dentistry and Mary’s Center, this program will promote the connection between oral health and overall health, provide quality outcomes, improve accessibility and create greater equity in the care and treatment older adults receive. Insights collected throughout the program will be utilized to identify effective solutions and inform the Delta Dental Senior Oral Health Care Model, which will be replicated as the program develops. The program will expand to form coalitions with other community partners.
Howard University is one of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The College of Dentistry was founded in 1881 and is the country’s fifth oldest dental school. The College has trained thousands of dental professionals who serve communities around the world.
For more than 30 years, Mary’s Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center, has been serving people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds from the Washington, DC metro area.
Goals of the program
Identify, assess and address the socioeconomic and systemic causes of poor oral health among older adults, particularly those living in poverty
Create a replicable model for community-driven oral health solutions
Improve quality of life for seniors by reducing oral care disparities
Other senior oral health partners
The UCLA School of Dentistry MINDFUL Project addresses the public health crisis facing older adults by increasing access to comprehensive oral health care.
Meals on Wheels San Francisco works on the front lines to support the critical nutritional needs of low-income seniors with health challenges, including poor oral health, facing limited or no access to food.
Utilizing new biomedical technology, Emory University monitors, diagnoses and treats senior adults and expectant mothers who face oral health disparities.
The State University of New York at Buffalo provides care to seniors and individuals living with intellectual or developmental disabilities, educates providers to care for these populations, and promotes prevention and oral health literacy.
Recent news
Get the latest insights on how Delta Dental is addressing senior oral health care.
Take a deeper look at what we do
Learn about the senior oral health program and the mission of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation.
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- https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/program-retirement-policy/projects/data-warehouse/what-future-holds/us-population-aging
- https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/publications/OHSR-2019-dental-carries-adults.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/oral_health_disparities/index.htm
- https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/medicare-and-dental-coverage-a-closer-look/